In the NFL, the question keeps coming up: Can anyone follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps? The GOAT himself names someone – and explains what the others are lacking.

Since Tom Brady ended his career, the question has been asked time and time again: Can anyone be as successful as the greatest NFL player in history? Does anyone have what it takes to reach that level?

Brady himself has someone in mind.

However, his answer to the question on the “Joel Klatt Show” about whether there are any quarterbacks whose work ethic he particularly admires or who remind him of himself is not particularly surprising.

It’s Patrick Mahomes.

What’s interesting, though, is Brady’s comments. Because basically, he’s hinting that he sees Mahomes at the top – but that there’s not much else after that.

Mahomes: The difference between him and the others, according to Brady

There is always a difference between those who want to win and those who are willing to do whatever it takes to win, Brady said. “Everyone wants to win, but what habits, what daily routines, what specific actions are needed every day to put the team in a position to win games? For me, Patrick Mahomes is the one who does that most consistently.”

Brady cites Mahomes’ personality, physical abilities, understanding of what he needs to do offensively, and the constant winning mentality that Mahomes brings to the table. “In the biggest moments, he’s the one you can rely on the most,” Brady said.

Regarding the competition for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, such as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow – whom Brady does not name – he emphasized that “they are still developing and have to prove that they can do it consistently before I can say, ‘Yes, he’s made it.’ So far, they haven’t,” Brady said. “They’ve all had great moments, they’re all great players, they can all do fantastic things. But at some point, they have to take the next step, take on more responsibility – including at the organizational level – and get more people around them on board so that everyone is moving in the same direction.”

That’s how Brady himself did it in the past

He also reveals how he did this himself as the “CEO of a team,” as he describes a quarterback. This requires not only skill, but also the trust of the entire team so that your word carries weight.

“As a quarterback, you don’t just clock out and say, ‘I did my job, I threw 40 touchdowns – why aren’t we winning?’ The question is: What are you doing in the offseason to help your defense? How are you pushing the personnel department to make the right decisions? Are you involved in game preparation?” Brady said.

He emphasized that he made his own game plans. “I went in and said, ‘This is what we’re doing.’ I organized my own walkthroughs and said, ‘Okay, guys, I don’t give a damn if the coaches want to come or not – we’re doing our walkthrough now.’”